Chenille sewing machine and the like



Mardi 26, 1940. w SPARKS 2,194,876

CHENILLE SEWING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 9,' 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l /LLT Je l////// March 26, 1940. w. H. SPARKS `CHENILLE SEWING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 9, 195B 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M w@ 1 4 Il @ifi s Il/ I ma@ a, 1 MIM March 26, 1940. w. H. SPARKS CHENILLE SEWING MACHINEAAND THE LIKE Filed Nv. 9, 193e v4 sheets-sheet 5 March-26, 1940. w, H, SPARKS 2,194,876

CHENILLE SEWING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 9, 1938 l amJlmpar/w,

MMWVQ @www f Patented Mar. 26, 1940 mUTE" lTATES 2,194,876 'l i .i (il-IENILLEl SEWING MACHINE THE William H.' Sparks, Calhoun, Ga. Y implicati@ November 9, 193s, serial No. 239,728

8 Claims.

and the loop forming member about to take the thready therefrom. l

Fig. 2! is a detail -View parts omitted. This View shows the new loop as having been drawn and about to be placed on the guide for directing it to the loop holder for cutting to provide the tufts.

Fig..3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in an advanced .stepin the operation.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, 4with lthe parts at another stage of the operation.

Fig. 5 is a plan, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the loop drawing member.v

FigLI? is a side View, and Fig. 8 a front View of the loop holder and anA associated guide for directing the loops to said holder.` v

Fig. 9 is a side View of'a cutter for VSeverin the loops to form the tuft. Y

Fig..10 is a front view oi the cutter and apart of its carrier means.

Fig. 1l is a plan View of part of the machine with a portion broken away and a portionin sec- Fig.A 13 is a front view of the head of a sewing machine embodying the invention.

Figs. 14 to 17 inclusive are views of theelements immediately involved in the formation and cutting of the loops, all of said views being taken from the front of the machiney in which viewsz` Fig. 14 shows the loop forming member engag- 45 ing the thread to begin drawing of the loop.

Fig. l5 is a similar View with the loop drawing finger advanced about 180 from the position of Fig. 14, with the loop fully drawn and turned or twisted through an angle of, sav, 180 or more,`in which position the strands of the loop are crossed at a point slightly below the plane of the foundation fabric. This position corresponds to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 16 shows the loop forming finger as having ,55 advanced about of a'revolution from the posisimilar to Fig. 1 vwith' .tion of Fig. 14, this position corresponding to that of Fig. 3 where the loop is Aabout to be freed from the loop forming member or point 4b, it at this time having been threadedonto the downwardly extending guide which controlsgand di- 5 rects it on its way to the loop holder.I

Fig. 17 is a front View withv the elements in the position of Fig. 4, the loop having been shed from the loop forming member completely land about to be drawn into-thefabric by the take-up vv10 device, thus positioning the loop `on the loop holder. j

Fig. 18 is a vsectional view on line IB-I of l;""ig.11.` 1 n Fig. 19` is a Vertical sectional view through the shear blade shaft on line' 19-19 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 20 is a side View of a rotary cutter'associated with the loop holder.

Fig. 21 is aplan View and Fig. l22 ka front view oi Fig. ZO'and associated parts. 20 In forming the loop, which is cut to produce the tuft, the said loop is drawn initially of excessive' length andy in this extralong formitis delivered -to a guide memberwhich controls it and directs it to a loop holder where its desired length is obtained by the operation of take-up means eX- 'i erting a take-up action to pullfl'oackr the excess j thread and leave the loop of the vlength desired according to the position of the loop holder relative to the throat plate of the machine'where the y foundation fabric is located.

The needle l is reciprocated vertically by any ordinary mechanism, not shown. v 'The thread a., from a suitable supply, passes through the eye of a take-up inger'which is controlled ,totake up slack in the thread.

Thethread passes through a suitable guide 2 on the needle.' bar after leaving the take-upiin-` ger, and thence it passes through the eye 3 of the needle. l The needle on its righthand side, as

. viewed from the front of the machine, has a loop'fA er spot la. just above the eye. Thisconsists of a depression of adepth to allow the point ofthe loop drawing finger to pass betweenthe needle and the thread extending down alongside of the` needle from the fabric.

The loop'drawing member 4 is carried on a shaft 5 mounted in suitable bearings'toA have roy tarymovement. This rotary movement is con' `50 stantly in one direction. The part 4 consists oiv a finger secured to the shaft and'having a point 4b with an adjacent recess 4a, and a more remote shoulder 4c, the latter being inclined to the plane of rotation of the finger. The point llbf'of this g55 loop drawing member engages the thread near where it emerges from the eye of the needle, and extends thence to the fabric b, and Fig. 1 shows the point lib of the finger just after it has taken the thread in its rotation clockwise. Fig. 2 shows the loop forming member as having made substantially a half revolution around the axis of shaft 5 from the position of Fig. 1, the loop having been drawn in extended form, and resting against the inclined shoulder le of the loop drawing finger.

As shown in the detail plan view Fig. 5, the loop forming linger widens from its point lb to its shoulder llc, and as the loop slips -back along this finger, it is widened or opened to conform to the gradually increasing width of the finger to the point shown in Fig. 2, just before the rotary motion of the loop forming linger brings the open loop to the guide 'id for directing the loop to a loop holder l, which is fixed in position by a screw 'la attaching it to a bracket member or support 8. I'hisloop holder is shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, and consists of a plate lb having a laterally extending arm le. The elongated guide 'ld is connected to the end of the holder and at its downwardly directed end distant from the eye of the needle receives the extra long loop from the loop forming finger which it is about to do in Fig. 2, as a consequence of the continued movement of the loop drawing finger in the arrow direction. In this latter gure, the needle is rising. The take-up keeps the loop free from slack, draws back the excess thread, causes the loopto traverse the guide, and finally locates the loop of the desired length on the loop holder.

In Fig. 3, the needle is up and the loop under the tension of the take-up is about to be withdrawn from the drawing finger, which has arrived in such a position that the loop has slipped to near the point of said linger. At this stage the loop is still `contacting with and under the control of the guide Td, and the loop drawing nnger has arrived at Ia point in its revolution where the take-up tension on the thread is about to pull it olf of the point 4b of the loop drawing nger. This action has occurred inFig. 4, and the take-up device is here drawing the thread back through the eye of the needle, is tightening the new loop, indicated at e in Fig. 4, and is about to locate it on the loop holder Tc. This figure alsc shows the previously formed loop at f embracing the horizontal loop holder. This previously formed loop has been fully incorporated in the foundation fabric layer a. Its final length has been determined andit is ready to be cut in order to convert it into a tuft element. For this cutting action, a knife il is used lconsisting of 'a blade fixed to a rock shaft Il! suitably mounted in the support or bracket 8, said blade having a cutting edge at Ia. to sever the loop on the horizontal loop holder le, so that each time the cutting blade swings upwardly, it will perform a cutting action on the loop, or loops, strung on the loop holder. During the operation of the machine, the knife is constantly oscillated and is cutting the loops as they arrive within its range in moving leftward in Fig. 4, it being noted that each new loop as it is drawn into place on the loop holder 7c, against the lower edge thereof, will be seated in the corner where the loop holder joins the depending elongated guide, and that the previously formed loops will move along (leftward in Fig. 4) the said horizontal loop holder, this action being due to the operation of the reciprocating feeder Il of the fabric, which feeder is carried by the arm l2 and is operated in any well known way. I I :c is the usual presser foot.

This feeder for the foundation fabric or goods is, as usual, serrated or toothed on its upper side to grip the fabric. Fig. 1 illustrates that a number of the loops have been cut and have passed to the left beyond the range of the oscillating knife blade 9.

It will be observed that the knife does not immediately cut the last loop positioned on the holder, as, for instance, loop f in Figs. 1 and 4. More than one such loop may be held intact, i. e., without cutting, on the loop holder during the time `that the new loop is being formed and transferredto the loop holder. This intact loop, or loops, f, if more than one is left intact while the new loop is being drawn and transferred, Will insure the locking of the loops in the fabric and prevent the take-up mechanism from pulling out or disturbing the strand already lodged in the fabric.

In the action above described, it will be noted that the two side strands of the loop have `been crossed one upon the other, and these strands initially lie in the foundation fabric in this crossed relation when the loop to which they be long is seated in the fabric. This crossing of the strands is due to the incline ofthe shoulder 4c giving the loop a half turn from its initial position to that shown in Fig. 2, where it is about to be threaded onto guide 1c. The shoulder 4c serves as a stop to prevent the loop from slipping too far backward on the loop drawing or forming `finger 4a. i'

In other words, this shoulder is for insuring the transport of the newly formed loop to the guide. This shoulder desirably is mounted on the loop forming finger. The depending guide 'ld which receives the loop and directs it to the loop holder 'lc is curved laterally, as shown in Figs. 8 and 12, and its point liesl in position to receive the opened loop of Fig. 2. The loop drawing finger fl, as shown in Fig. 4, overhangs a free space by reason of the fact that its supporting arm lle, Figs. 5 and 6, is offset to one side of the plane vof revolution of the linger. This nger therefore readily .can deliver the loop to the downwardly directed point of the elongated guide 1d.

The loop forming finger in this particular disclosure is timed to make two complete revolutions for each reciprocation of the needle, but I do not limit myself in this respect.

The distance between the loop holder and the foundation fabric determines the length of the loops, and of the tufts when the loops are cut. The loop holder is therefore made adjustable. For this purpose, the bracket 8 on which the loop holder 'lc is mounted has an ear 8a pivotally connected by a bolt Bb to the frame or base of the machine at Sd. To this bracket 8 is bolted at 3c a rod I3 pivoted at I4 to a link l5, which maybe connected to a rotary disc I6, Fig. 13. By rotating this disc more or less, the connections just described will adjust the whole bracket 8 about the pivot 8b for setting the loop holder up or down in relation to the foundation fabric, and hence the length of the loop will be altered, and as a result, the depth of the tuft will be changed when the loop is cut` The disc I6 may be operated` in any desired Way. I have shown worm gearing at il, Fig. 13, operated from a wheel or pulley I8. When set in any desired posi tion, the worm gearing will lock the parts against accidental operation.

The pulley I8 may be regarded asa representation of any desired form of hand wheel for adjusting the parts above mentioned by hand, or it may be, as shown a pulley driven constantly during the operation of tufting so as to get a wave effect in the tufting by constantly varying the length of the loop, and'consequently of the tufts when cut, said wave effect defining the surface of the grouped threads of different lengths. The drive for the pulley I8 may be the belt I9 from another pulley as 2|). The link or pitman I5 may be connected with the disc I6 at various distances from its center of rotation, for which purpose a series of openings |60. are provided at varying radial distances from the center of the disc. This will give varying positions vertically to the loop holder lb, 1c, automatically during the operation of the machine,

It will be understood that the same bracket 8 which supports the loop holder 'lc also carries the loop cutting knife 9, because its shaft |0 is mounted in said bracket. This shaft lies within a sleeve 2|. This has an arm 22 depending from it, carrying a roller 23 embraced by a fork 24 of an arm 25, pivoted at 26 to a part or boss 8:1: of the bracket 8 heretofore described. This arm 25 hasanother fork or recess 24al in which works an eccentric 5a, on the shaft 5' which, as before described, carries the loop drawing finger 4 and rotates in one direction. The sleeve 2| is connected to the shaft l0 by a key |016 on the shaft lying in a slot 2|:r of the sleeve, so that rocking movement of the sleeve will be imparted to the shaft I0 and cutter, but the cutter will have a tendency to press tothe right in Fig. 11 under tension of the spring |0, Fig. 11, surrounding the shaft ID, bearing at `one end against the end of the sleeve and at the other end against a nut Il!" on the shaft. The knife 9 is thus pressed towards the side of the loop holder 1c to cut the loop with a shearing action.

In orfder to remove the completed fabric from the machine, a cutting of the final loops may be performed by operating the cutter by hand power applied to the hand wheel 21. For this action, the presser foot would be lifted from the fabric, the hand wheel would be turned through a limited angle back and forth sufficiently to oscillate the knife the required stroke, and during this hand operation of the knife, the fabric would be stressed leftward by hand, so that the loops on the loop hol-der 1c will be drawn leftward within range of the cutter.

For performing this action, the machine would be turned over to a point where the operation of the hand Wheel back and forth by hand can be performed without aecting to any material degree the raised position of the needle, the position of the operating parts being substantially neutral in respect to the operation of the needle.

Instead of an oscillating cutter for the loops, a disc cutter may be employed rotating about an axis Sla. This may be rotated by an electric motor M. Such a cutter is shown at 3|. The fabric feeder will draw the loop against this rotating cutter disc.y

The loo-p holder, when this rotary cutter is employed, is split at 33, the loop hol-der generally being designated by the numeral 32. 'Ihe edge of the rotary cutter enters the slot provided by the split form of the loop holder.

The shaft 5 which carries the loop forming member 4 is mounted to rotate in a bracket aflixed to and depending from the frame or table of the machine. This shaft is driven from a belt 5b which is driven from a pulley 5c on ashaft 29, shown in dotted lines.v

It will be observed that the guide 1d is elongated andextends far enough downwardly from the loop holderiportion, and far enough distant from the eye of the-needle, when lowered, to receive the loop in the extended condition of Fig. 2 (or slightly more), this extended condition being a consequence ofthe use of a finger such as 4 rotating constantly in one direction. The elongated form of the `guide insures that the loop will be taken with certainty when it is in its elongated form, and withvits strands well spread apart and crossed to present an opening of considerable width to the downwardly directed end of the guide member 1d.

It will be observed further that by my invention the loop, under the pull of the vtake-up, frees itself from the loop forming nger, which latter,

by rotating in one direction, brings the loopto a position where the free end ofv said 'nnger is pointing in an upward direction. Compare in this connection the position of the said finger 4 in Figs. 3 and 4 to the position shown in Fig.' 2. No special stripper or take-olf means need be associated with the loop forming finger 4 for discharging the loop therefrom.' The'recess llcv is of a size to provide room for the rise of the needle without conflict of the lower kend thereof with the said finger, it being remembered that the iinger enters a depression in the side of the needle.

Fig; 4 shows the loop discharged from the loop forming finger, and being drawn tightly into the fabric by the take-up. i

At 30 is shown a bolt for retaining the pivoted bracket 8 in proper relation against the frame. The bolt passes through the slot to permit movement of the bracket 8.

The invention also concerns the method of forming, transporting, and delivering the loop and cutting the same.

It also includes the chenille having loops with its threads crossed. f

By employing a loop forming member rotating in one direction a high production in the number of stitches within a given time is obtained.

Further this rotary loop former contributes to simplicity of the machine, ease and certainty of operation, and reduces repairs and upkeep.

A rotary member is permitted as afpra'ctical means of forming the loop by drawing said loop of excess length initially and thereafter reducing its lentgh to the prescribed limit, as it is being incorporated in the fabric. Naturally by vemploying a rotary loop former a length of loop must be drawn approximating the diameter of the rotary'member.

Contributing to the use of said rotary member is the elongated .guide member 'ld which has its lower downwardly directed end disposed at a distance below the eye of the needle, when lowered, to receive the loop when it attains substantially its complete extra length.

The take up tension on the yarn is applied through the foundation fabric, a finger rotating in one direction only to draw the thread from the needle in the form of a loop, a relatively stationary loop holder having a seat for receiving the loop from the rotating loop forming finger and for holding a plurality of said loops, means for transferring the loop from the finger to the loop holder during the one directional rotary movement of said finger, and means associated with said loop holder for cutting the loops, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the said means for transferring the loop includes an elongated depending guide member, connected with the loop holder, having its end directed downwardly adjacent the circular path of movement of the loop drawing finger onto which the said loop drawing finger in its forward movement places the loop to be directed to the loop holder.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotating loop forming finger has a shoulder facing in the direction of rotation spaced laterally away from its point for receiving the loop, and transporting the said loop forwardly to its point of discharge.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the loop forming finger widens out gradually in rear' of its point and has a shoulder on its outer face at its wide portion for engaging the loop and carrying it forwardly in the direction of rotation of said finger, said shoulder being inclined in respect to the direction of movement of the finger to turn the loop from the position in which it lies initially.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 having takeup means for the thread, said take-up means stressing the thread for pulling the loop off of the finger and against said loop holder when said finger in its rotation points in an upward direction. f

6. In combination in apparatus according to claim 1, a movable support for the loop holder, said cutting means also being carried by said support, and means for oscillating said support for varying the length of the loops automatically during the running of the machine, and means for operating the loop cutter relative to the loop holder, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a needle for carrying the thread through the foundation fabric, a finger located adjacent the needle to take the thread therefrom in the form of an elongated loop, a shaft on which said finger is mounted overhanging a free space at the end of said shaft, means for driving the shaft in one` direction only, a loop holder arranged in a plane off to one side of the plane in which the finger rotates, and a guide connected to and depending from the loop holder and having its lower end portion extending laterally into the said free space within the path of the rotary loop drawing finger to receive the elongated loop from said finger, thread take-up means for taking up excess thread in the elongated loop in placing the said loop upon the loop holder and means for cutting the loops associated with the loop holder,

8. Apparatus according to claim l in which the loop drawing nger is mounted en a one-directional rotary shaft and in which the loop cutting means consists of an oscillating member, a shaft carrying said oscillating member, an eccentric on the shaft of the loop drawing finger, and a connection between the eccentric and the cutter shaft for rocking the latter to operate the cutting means.

`WILLIAM H. SPARKS. 

